4 Tips for Teaching Your Kids To Love God’s Word

April 7, 2017

Any other moms (or grandmas) out there always on the look out for great Christian books for their kids? Over the past several years, there have been some awesome storybook Bible’s released: The Jesus Storybook Bible, The Biggest Story, and The Story for Children just to name a few. But the newest children’s Bible to release has set itself apart in a big way.

Before I tell you about it though, let’s talk about children’s Bibles. Do your kids have their own Bibles? Is your house filled with storybook Bibles like mine is? Do you have Christian-based books to read to your children?

My kids have grown up surrounded by God’s Word. They know the stories, but sometimes I worry that they will find themselves full of head knowledge and not realize that Jesus is more than a fairy tale. Or worse, they could end up like me…

I grew up with a mom who taught Sunday school. We went to church every Sunday and I knew that God was good like I knew that the sky was blue. It didn’t necessarily change my life, but it was a fact that I knew to be true.

When I accepted Christ as my Savior in high school and began my personal walk with Him, the Bible posed a huge challenge for me. I knew it was true. I knew it was important, but it was just plain hard to read.

I had my own Bible, but I didn’t really know how to understand it. Maybe you can relate? Have you ever been there?

Well, as a mother myself now, I want my kids to grow up with a love for the Word of God. I’m probably failing at it, because I floundered for so long myself, but I’m learning there are a few things that can really help.

1.) Let Your Children See You Read Your Bible

Our kids learn so much by just watching us. If they know we love it, they will want to know why. They will want to share the experience with us (which can be both frustrating and special depending on the day).

2.) Make Sure Your Children Each Have Their Own Bible

My kids love having their own Bibles. They love bringing them to church and trying to follow along. Even before they could read, they wanted me to flip open the pew Bible for them so they could “follow along.” It helped them engage in the sermon and also become familiar with a Bible, but I was always a little worried they might tear the pages. Purchasing them a copy of the Bible for themselves alleviated that worry, and made them super excited.

When they read with me, they bring their own Bible. When we go to church, they tote their Bible along. If they ever want to read their Bible and I’m not around, they don’t have to ask. Even if they just want to flip the pages, it’s theirs and they can.

3.) Teach Your Children About The Bible

It’s one thing to have a Bible, it’s another thing to understand it. It’s one thing to know the stories, it’s another thing to know they are true. There are people out there who don’t think the Bible is true. That nothing in it really happened. Or it’s just an idea or religious philosophy. Some people will say the events are exaggerated, or only some of it’s true. We have to give our children a solid foundation for viewing God’s Word, or someone else will.

How do you want your children to look at the Word of God? What do you want them to say about it? We have to teach them that.

4.) Teach Your Children How To Apply The Bible

Just like with the last point, it’s one thing to know about the Bible, it’s another thing entirely to learn to understand it and apply God’s truths to our lives. Teaching our kids to do this when they are small will help them start out on a life-time of living for Jesus. My girls each have their own devotional books, but I also love the “Happily Ever After” segments in the storybook Bible I’m about to introduce you to, because it does this.

So let’s get to it, shall we?

Introducing The New Once Upon A Time Bibles

With the popularity of fairy tales and Disney animation, and especially with the new release of Disney’s live action Beauty and the Beast on March 17, Zonderkidz wanted to publish a storybook Bible and full -text Bible (Holy Bible offered in hardcover, and pink leather soft editions) that would resonate with children and families who loved those types of movies, and loved reading a great story.

The art will captivate Disney lovers with similar looking characters and color palettes

Zonderkidz wanted to capture fans of this genre, but introduce young children to the word of God, and introduce them to the great characters of the Bible. It’s important to note that this brand serves to resound the theme that the Bible is not a fairy tale, but every great Bible story happened once upon a time. The Bible is the ultimate Happily Ever After story!

What Christian parent doesn’t want to tie in Bible learning fun with what their kids already love, but also have the opportunity to teach them that the real heroes and stories of our faith come straight from God’s Word?

The Storybook Bible utilizes even more of the captivating art style and beautiful narrative to tell the major stories of the Bible, and the Holy Bible includes the full-text of the bestselling New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) translation, and highlights six great stories of the Bible in full-color tip-in pages.

My Review

What I love most about these books are how they fit into teaching our kids to love God’s Word. They are great tools we can utilize as parents to instill a long lasting love for Scripture.

Once Upon A Time Storybook Bible Review

I can totally picture snuggling up with a baby or toddler to read the storybook Bible. The stories are well written and well adapted. I think little ones would definitely be into them. I know my kids would have been if they were younger (both my boys and my girls).

I especially love the “Happily Ever After” segment at the end of each story where it covers the moral of the story. This is what I mentioned above. It helps them apply what they have learned. It also references the chapters in the Bible where you can find the story. So if your kids want to take it deeper, or you want to show them where the story is in your Bible, you can.

Seriously, I wish I would have had this storybook Bible years ago. I love it.

Once Upon A Time Holy Bible Review

Again, a great resource for teaching your children to love God’s Word. When my girls were little and we were looking into buying them their first Bibles this would have been an awesome choice for them. And it is definitely designed for girls. The hardcover is decked with glitter and the imitation leather is pink. I love that it’s hard cover though since that makes it more durable.

I will say, I’m not nearly as impressed with it as I am with the storybook Bible, though. The stories included in this one are not the same as the ones in the storybook Bible. There is some overlap, but even when there is, they shorten them to the point they aren’t as profound. While the Holy Bible is designed for older children, the stories seem more childish.

Also, the stories are no where near where they relate to the actual chapters in the Bible. The story about Ruth is in the middle of Psalms. The story about Rebekah is found in 1 Samuel. Jesus’s birth is in Jeremiah.I would have loved to see them at least close to where they actually appear in Scripture so kids could learn about how their favorite stories relate to God’s Holy Word.

But if you are buying a Bible for your six-year-old little girl, I think this would be a good choice. I’m sure they will still love the stories, especially if they could read them on their own. And while they don’t have the “Happily Ever After” segments, they do list the exact Scriptures covered if you want to go and find it and read the whole thing, or if you want to see where it fits in.

Do you have a favorite children’s Bible, storybook Bible, or other Christian based book you would recommend? Do you have a tip for teaching kids to love God’s Word? An experience to share? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

Heather Hart is an internationally best-selling and award-winning author who has an unquenchable passion for Jesus. Her desire is to help women of all ages embrace who they were created to be and find their true beauty in Christ. Heather knows that one thing every girl needs is a little honesty, so she’s not afraid to get candid and share her struggles. Her hope is that through her writing, she can help others soak up the love of Jesus.

12 Comments

I read my bible and pray every morning and my kids pray each morning on the way to school. I do my best to give them ways to apply God’s word to their lives, but I still feel like I’m not doing enough or showing them enough. My kids love Disney and this looks and sounds like something they would love! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for stopping in, Heather. I think teaching our kids about Jesus is something we often feel unsure of our progress on, because the real work is done deep in their heart where we can’t see it. Thankfully, Jesus is the Savior of the world and ultimately He can save them with or without our help. But I sure do long for my kids to know my Jesus.Heather Hart recently posted…How to Trust in Jesus When Everything is Falling Apart

My Mother gave my brother and me Bibles when I was just a little thing. Before that, my brother used his baby dedication Bible and I’m not even sure I was reading yet. I carried that thing for years (even after having to fish it out of a couple of toilets, ewww). When I hit my preteen years, my Dad chose nice leather covered apologetic Bibles for us. It fascinated me to read all the footnotes and articles, which is where most of my Bible knowledge still comes from. I think 1) giving them the Bible and 2) showing a child how to navigate it are the best things for a child.Lauren C. Moye recently posted…The True Key to Finding Balance in Life

Yes! I had a Bible growing up, but I think I thought it was just a church prop. It never occurred to me that I was supposed to read it until high school, and then I was very lost and confused about the whole thing.Heather Hart recently posted…Candid Moments

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